The present invention relates to an input device used for various types of electronic equipment including portable phones and mobile communication devices. More particularly, it relates to an input device that can be used for input and output of sound, and portable equipment using the device.
In recent years, portable phones and mobile communication devices are getting smaller but more functional. In the wake of such a trend, an input device employed for electronic equipment has a need to handle various operations and display styles in a limited space.
An example of prior-art input device and portable equipment having the device is described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the essential part of a mobile phone as an example of the prior-art portable equipment.
FIG. 8 is a plan view of the mobile equipment.
In FIGS. 7 and 8, insulating resin-made housing 1 has loudspeaker 2 and input device 3 in the upper section on its surface. In the lower section of housing 1, a plurality of operation keys 4 each of which has a switch contact thereunder (not shown) and microphone 5 are arranged.
Input device 3 is known as the transparent touch panel, which contains transparent upper substrate 11, transparent lower substrate 13, and spacer 15.
Upper substrate 11 has a film or the like under which transparent upper conductive layer 12 is formed. Upper conductive layer 12 is made of indium-tin oxide, tin oxide, or the like. On the other hand, lower substrate 13 has transparent lower conductive layer 14 thereon. Picture frame-like spacer 15 has an adhesive on both surfaces. Upper substrate 11 and lower substrate 13 are bonded together via adhesive-applied spacer 15. Besides, a plurality of spacer dots 16, which are provided at spaced intervals on the upper surface of lower conductive layer 14, allow upper substrate 11 to face to lower substrate 13 at an given interval.
When a user pushes the top surface of upper substrate 11 by the finger or a pen, substrate 11 bends due to the depressing force, thereby a part of upper conductive layer 12 corresponding to the pushed position contacts with lower conductive layer 14. Upper conductive layer 12 has upper electrodes (not shown) on both ends; on the other hand, lower conductive layer 14 has lower electrodes (also not shown) on both ends orthogonal to the ends having the upper electrodes of layer 12. In response to the ratio of the resistance between the upper electrodes to the resistance between the lower electrodes, the depressed position is detected.
In addition, display element 6, such as liquid crystal display (LCD), is disposed under input device 3. The user finds, through transparent input device 3, letters, symbols, and graphical images shown on display element 6, and selects a desirable one among them. The user also operates input device 3 to switch between various functions.
In the portable equipment having such structured input device 3, the user operates keys 4 to display data, for example, names and telephone numbers, on display element 6. Further, the user selects a desired one among the names or telephone numbers listed on display element 6 and then pushes a specific key to place a call. The user thus starts a conversation using loudspeaker 2 and microphone 5.
In the portable equipment having the conventional input device, as described above, housing 1 has not only input device 3 and a plurality of operation keys 4, but also loudspeaker 2 and microphone 5 for telephone calls, and all of which is disposed on the top surface of housing 1. Accordingly, when increasing the size of input device 3 or the number of keys 4 so as to respond to more functions of equipment, the equipment becomes bigger as a whole. This makes it difficult to realize compatibility between performance improvement in equipment and downsizing of the equipment.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an input device suitable for portable equipment having high-performance in a compact body, which can offer a wide and user-friendly space in input operation. It is also the object to provide portable equipment using the device.
The input device of the present invention has the following structure.
An input operation section is used for data entry in response to the user""s operation. The input operation section also conveys sound vibration;
A coupling section is coupled to the input operation section to form a closed cavity between the two sections.
A sound vibration transmitting section, which is formed to be adjacent to the closed cavity, transmits sound vibration from the input operation section to the sound vibration transmitting section (or vice versa), via the closed cavity.
The aforementioned sound vibration transmitting section of the input device transmits, via the closed cavity, sound vibration typified by voice, which is carried from an input element for data entry or a vibration element. By virtue of the structure having the sound vibration transmitting section, the vibrating element can be arranged on the back surface or the side surface of the input element. The structure can thus offer a compact input device having a wide space for the input operation.
The portable equipment of the present invention includes the aforementioned input device and a sound vibration element.
According to the portable equipment, the sound vibration element is coupled to the sound vibration transmitting section of the input device. Sound vibration generated from the input section is transmitted to the sound vibration transmitting section, or vice versa, via the closed cavity of the input device and the sound vibration transmitting section. The portable equipment can thus offer a wide and ease-of-use space for input operation, even though its compact body.